D-backs not happy with Dodgers' pool party

LA players take dip at Chase Field while celebrating NL West title

By Tyler Emerick / MLB.com

PHOENIX -- Minutes after the Dodgers captured the National League West title Thursday with a 7-6 victory over the second-place D-backs, several players from Los Angeles, celebrated by climbing the right-center-field wall at Chase Field and jumping into the pool.

In the home clubhouse, the D-backs didn't appreciate the act. Add that to the bad feelings between the two clubs, which date to June 11 in a Dodger Stadium incident and continued Thursday, when warnings were issued to both benches after Dodgers starter Ricky Nolasco hit two batters.

Some Arizona officials and players called the Thursday celebration disrespectful.

"It's surprising because they have a lot of veteran guys on that team that I thought were classier than that," D-backs infielder Willie Bloomquist said. "I just think they have enough guys on that team that it's surprising that they would allow that to happen.

"You have to give credit where credit is due. They won the division; congratulations to them, but I would expect them to act with a little more class than they did. I doubt the New York Yankees would do something like that."

Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said: "I've never seen a celebration where everyone isn't boisterous and enthusiastic."

D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall said in an email: "I could call it disrespectful and classless, but they don't have a beautiful pool at their old ballpark and probably wanted to see what one was like."

Although the D-backs celebrated in the same fashion in 2011 when they clinched the NL West, the club took exception to what the Dodgers did Thursday as a visiting club.

"There's a fine line, going overboard at someone else's place," Bloomquist said. "But what are we going to do about it? There's not much we can do about it now. They've clinched the division this year, but if that's how they're going to act and be classless, that's their gig; that's their clubhouse. I just think it's disrespectful and classless."

Thursday's events no doubt will fuel an already tense rivalry for years to come.

"Celebrating is fun," D-backs pitcher Brandon McCarthy said via Twitter. "I don't care how and where you do it. Only thing to care about is what we need to do to celebrate in our pool next year."

Celebrating is fun. I don't care how and where you do it. Only thing to care about is what we need to do to celebrate in our pool next year.